Sunday, 17 August 2008

Nutella cupcakes

I’ve wanted to make nutella cupcakes for a while now but each recipe I found didn’t quite do it for me – can’t put my finger on why. So I decided to tinker with my trusted cupcake recipes and create my own version.

Here are the cupcakes fresh from the oven:

Nutella has it all; it’s thick, smooth and has such a depth of rich flavour that I have to limit myself to one suck of the spoon when I’ve finished making my cakes!

Beating the nutella into the Swiss meringue buttercream was particularly fun; watching the snowy buttercream slowly turn brown was pleasing and strangely relaxing. I knew this would work as my earlier strawberry and vanilla cupcakes beat jam into the buttercream.

Twelve happy little cupcakes ready to be eaten!

The buttercream was softer than usual, which must have been down to the nutella. It was – and I know I’m blowing my own trumpet here – the best buttercream ever, a cream/mousse hybrid. Divine!

- Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan oven 170°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.- Line a muffin pan with 12 paper cases.- Start by making the cupcakes. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.- Add the eggs, flour and milk and beat until well combined and smooth.- Spoon half the mixture evenly into the 12 paper cases.- Spoon a scant half teaspoon of nutella onto each cake and then cover with the remaining batter.- Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Mine took 17 minutes.- Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.- Now make the swiss meringue buttercream. Place the egg whites and sugar in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir pretty much constantly to prevent the egg from cooking.- After 5-10 minutes, when the sugar has dissolved, remove the bowl from the pan of simmering water and whisk until the meringue has puffed up and the mix is cool.- Add the butter and vanilla to the meringue and whisk until the butter has been completely incorporated into the meringue. At first it will look a disaster – it will collapse and look curdled but don’t worry! Stop when the mixture is smooth, light and fluffy.- Beat the nutella into the buttercream – add a spoon at a time so you can judge how much nutella the buttercream needs.- Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag and swirl onto each cupcake.- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.- Eat.

ahhh i m drooling. I m crazy about nutella. Don t leave a bottle near me since it will vanish really quickly. I love the cupcake cut in half its so perfect. mine always look so disasterous when i try to cut in half.

Tried making these and they are yummy but had a bit of a problem with the icing. Are you meant to cool it after you have made it? As I put mine straight in the piping bag to ice them but it was still a bit runny and slid off the cakes a bit. Was wondering if anyone had made this icing before and had any tips?Thanks :)

I would make two guesses as to why your icing was runny:1. You didn't whisk the sugar and whites until they were cool before adding the butter2. (I think this one is more likely) you didn't whisk the buttercream for long enough before using it. When the butter is added the frosting becomes quite runny and sloppy - you have to whisk through this stage, it can take 10-15 minutes, but then the buttercream will thicken up. YOu shouldn't use it until you reach this stage.

Thanks yes that does help and it was the second one. I'd been at it a while so thought it should be ok but think it needed a bit longer based on what you have said. Great recipe though I especially love the nutella in the bottom of the cakes.

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